'Shiki'—who suddenly appeared in the sky—gazed coldly down at the entire venue.
While people still reeled in shock and uncertainty—Naruto shot to his feet. "Shiki! How the hell did you find this land?!"
"Shi-Shiki? Isn't that the Ōtsutsuki Naruto mentioned before? The one who destroyed the shinobi world?!"
"The Gozu Tennō that causes spatial fluctuations was already destroyed, wasn't it?!"
"How could he find this place?!"
As people stood in shocked confusion—Shiki turned his gaze toward Naruto. "Oh? You can call out this seat's name. Then you must be the perpetrator who used my clan's temporal treasure 'Ri.'"
Naruto's pupils contracted sharply. His fists clenched.
Shiki said condescendingly, "You probably don't know this—but with the uncertain factor of 'Ri,' although space-time exists in a chaotic state, everything that occurs is recorded in my clan's sacred relic. The Kabitoki Monument. The moment we detected the chaotic state's disappearance—my clan learned everything that happened by reading the monument. In other words—your every move is within my clan's grasp. You want to defy fate? Heh. Utterly laughable."
"Damn it!"
Naruto leaped into the sky. His golden chakra cloak expanded into the Ten-Tails' massive form. A giant Tailed Beast Ball condensed. And fired toward the sky.
"Boring tricks."
Shiki smiled coldly. Raising his finger. Flash. A golden beam pierced in a straight line through the Tailed Beast Ball. The Ten-Tails chakra. And Naruto's heart.
"GAAAAAAHHH!"
Naruto—blood spraying—plummeted to the earth.
The sudden turn of events was so fast that no one could react.
"Perish."
In Shiki's palm—a terrifying sphere of chaos expanded. Ultimately blocking out the sun.
In darkness—suffocating fear enveloped the entire venue. People even forgot to scream or flee. Only able to close their eyes. And wait for death in despair.
"OK! Cut!"
Until a reminder came through the earpiece Shiki was wearing.
Whoosh.
The sphere expanded to its limit rapidly contracted. Disappearing into his palm. The blocked sunlight appeared once more.
Only then did people—in their complete panic—muster the courage to open their eyes.
On the field—Naruto stood back up. His pierced heart rapidly regenerated and healed.
In the sky—with a poof of white smoke—Shiki transformed back into the girl Kaguya.
The entire venue erupted in shocked cries: "What... what's going on?!"
Time rewound to half a month ago. Naruto visited the moon to see family. And they were enjoying lunch together.
Kaguya: "Naruto—must I still appear as the entertainment at that Grand Tournament?"
Naruto: "Grandma doesn't want to go anymore?"
Kaguya: "Not exactly. It's just that after it became routine—everyone lost that sense of tension. And started treating me like a mascot."
As she said this—her small hand gripped the fork handle. Aiming at the carrot slices on her plate.
Naruto chewed on takoyaki. Eyes lowered. "How about we try something new this time."
Clang. Kaguya stabbed the carrot slice along with the entire plate. "Something new?"
Naruto wiped his mouth. "Yeah. Like this."
Kaguya: "You want me to impersonate Shiki?"
Naruto: "Exactly."
Kaguya: "But once we start fighting—won't the act fall apart?"
Naruto: "It's fine. What matters is creating that sense of oppression. I've already designed the script. I'll coordinate the performance with you."
So it was all an act jointly performed by Naruto and Kaguya. Solely to create that immersive sense of oppression when the Ōtsutsuki arrived.
"Hmph. I knew it."
In the stands—Madara calmly took out an apple. And began peeling it.
His daughter Xiǎowǔ asked curiously, "Dad—how did you figure it out?"
Madara said calmly yet with some pride, "Your old man hasn't seen your Uncle Naruto's so-called past-life memories. So I don't know how strong this so-called Shiki is. Precisely because of that—your old man won't be fooled by false appearances."
Xiǎowǔ looked at him adoringly. "Dad's amazing!"
"Hmph. Goes without saying."
Though Madara's face showed nothing when praised by his daughter—the peel he'd been smoothly cutting suddenly broke off a section.
"Hehe." Seeing this—Ali beside him covered her mouth and giggled.
On another side of the stands—a still-shaken Himawari asked Hinata, who'd remained calm throughout, "Mom—did you know all along?"
Hinata said, "No. I was startled at first too. But I quickly noticed the earpiece Great-Grandma Kaguya was wearing. I thought the Ōtsutsuki probably wouldn't use earpieces to communicate. So I figured it out."
She thought to herself: Still—Naruto-kun really went all out to coordinate the performance.
Contestants' section.
Tōjin had just returned from the restroom when he noticed the strange atmosphere. "What happened?"
Mitsuki said, "You just missed quite a show."
Tōjin looked completely bewildered.
Mitsuki thought: If Tōjin had seen his father getting taken down just now—he probably would've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
In the VIP box.
Fire Country Daimyō Ichikyū: "Hey, hey! Naruto—you could've at least given me a heads-up! You know I almost had a heart attack."
Beside him—Naruto's shadow clone scratched his head. "Sorry, sorry! I wanted to give everyone a surprise!"
Ichikyū murmured, "No surprise—but the shock was on point."
In the stands—the happiness of surviving a disaster surged through people's hearts.
"Ahhh! That really scared me to death!"
"Who shit their pants? It stinks!"
"You're the one who did it."
"Nonsense! I only pissed myself!"
"Hey—I just figured it out. This was premeditated, right? Otherwise why would they have shit bags ready?!"
"Ahhh. I can't look at Kaguya-chan the same way now. Even if it's roleplay—she got way too into character."
Just as people's attention turned back to Kaguya—
"Z~z~Z~z~" With light snoring—bubbles emerged from Kaguya's nose. She'd actually fallen asleep in the sky.
Whoosh.
At that moment—Minato flashed out from Flying Thunder God. Hoisting Kaguya over his shoulder. He said to Naruto, "Your Grandma Kaguya didn't sleep a wink for half a month to play Shiki's role well. She's truly exhausted."
Naruto said, "Take Grandma back to rest quickly."
Whoosh.
Minato took Kaguya back to the moon.
Naruto returned to his seat.
Obito said, "You really went to great lengths. Just now—even I was shaken by that name. And lost my calm judgment."
Naruto said, "Yeah. That immersive sense of oppression should be deeply embedded in everyone's hearts now. Consider it a preventive shot."
The Grand Tournament continued.
Tōjin had already arrived on the field.
His opponent was this tournament's lucky star—Hōzuki Suigetsu.
Tōjin asked politely, "Suigetsu-ojisan—long time no see."
Suigetsu laughed. "Tōjin! I didn't expect you to become this strong. Honestly—seeing you all fight so desperately makes me feel a bit embarrassed. But when luck comes—you can't stop it."
Tōjin's eyes lowered. "About luck—I believe more in something I read in a book. Fortune lies within misfortune. And misfortune lurks within fortune."
He raised two fingers. Forming the Seal of Confrontation. While his three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in both eyes.
Suigetsu returned the Seal of Confrontation with a smile. "Oh? Such serious eyes. Alright then—I'll have a proper match with you!"
BOOM.
But a massive shadow descended from the sky. Crushing Suigetsu into a puddle of water.
A towering one-horned giant in flowing white robes covering one eye—carrying on his shoulder a similarly white-robed, veiled, high-wooden-clog-wearing, regally dignified two-horned man—descended onto the Grand Tournament dueling ground.
Tōjin's pupils contracted sharply.
"Dog... ears...?!"
November 15th.
Congratulations to Kumāra Flame Who Loves Grilled Fish for using a character summon to successfully summon Juan in [Water Form]. Splash splash splash... flowing and flowing, flowing to the other side.
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